Montenegro 2024

July 7, 2024. Sunday. Flight to Montenegro!

This is the next part of my adventure, continuing from Serbia.
I made my way to Nikola Tesla Airport (Belgrade) at night. I dropped off the key at a gas station near Visokog Stevana, 35, where I had picked it up. Apparently, I knocked a little too urgently as I was in a hurry to catch the bus, and when I got inside, three surprised guys told me: "Man, we don’t need problems!" XD
To avoid paying 20 euros for a taxi, I took the night bus (Belgrade has those too! And they’re free!). I used the Moovit app, which has all the routes—super convenient.
The night bus was surprisingly full. It was hard to leave behind such a beautiful place—Belgrade has so many stunning women! I felt like I was "in the zone."
I traveled part of the way by bus to the last stop near the airport, and from there, I walked 3 kilometers through a village and a cornfield. It was silent, dark, 3:00 AM. In the distance, I could see the airport lights, and along the dirt road, there was nothing but a wall of tall corn stalks. It was a vivid memory!

I watched the sunrise at the airport, observing planes taking off into the honey-peach haze. By 6:00 AM, I was in the sky myself, aboard an Embraer 190 from Air Montenegro. The 50-minute flight cost me $100, but by 7:00 AM, I had already landed in Tivat, at a small, typical resort airport on the shores of the Adriatic Sea.

I walked to Tivat and Seljanovo (where I first rented a room through Airbnb) again—taxis here are even more expensive than in Belgrade. Despite the heat from the early morning, I barely noticed the 5 kilometers, captivated by the beauty around me. Flowers everywhere! Even the road signs are surrounded by blooms. As I approached Tivat, I passed a "gift shop," and inside—bottles, bottles, bottles! XD

I finally found the right apartment (the addresses were confusing), dropped off my backpack, and headed to the beach.
The water was crystal clear, gentle, just like in Turkey, with pristine white pebbles and a nice depth near the shore, just how I like it. 🙂 The beach is public and free. Beyond that, there are concrete areas, but that's not as interesting—it feels like swimming in a pool.

I had a meal at the Big Ben restaurant (almost everything is closed on weekends, even grocery stores). For breakfast, I had a fried egg with tomatoes, sausages with cheese and mushrooms, served with white sauce, salty deli meats, and toast. And blueberry juice (Serbian, by the way) 🙂
The music was lovely, and the view of the harbor was even more beautiful—so picturesque! The combination of green mountains and the azure sea is absolutely perfect…
By the way, the prices at Big Ben are quite reasonable, around 10-15 euros for a meal.

During the day, I walked around and swam. Once again, I lost my sunglasses somewhere and had to look for a replacement. It was incredibly hot, with the sun shining brightly—it’s easy to get burned quickly. A wet towel around my neck didn’t help much, as the salt dried out. I saw two submarines on the shore and a huge anchor, about five meters tall.
The harbor in Tivat is large, filled with numerous pristine, luxurious yachts. Seagulls were flying around, squawking with their heads thrown back.

After lunch, I took a nap at the apartment, at Branka’s place, the hostess. A sleepless night really takes its toll. 🙂 The stay, by the way, cost me 30 euros.

In the evening, the air was very fresh, and there weren’t many people swimming. I tried Fish and Chips and a Pina Colada, but I didn’t like the cocktail again—too much rum for my taste.
Later, I walked around Tivat once more, but my flip-flops rubbed my feet badly. You can’t walk in them for too long—they’re uncomfortable.

July 8, 2024. Monday. Kotor and Podgorica.

In the morning, I went for another date with the sea. The vegetation around was picturesque, with kiwis growing and hanging in the courtyards. I even saw some laurel.
I had the most delicious Frutti di Mare pizza at Big Ben (only 7 euros!) along with some Nesquik.
People are savoring and relaxing. This place feels like an endless celebration.
Finally, I found a pair of sunglasses for 10 euros. They sparkle like honey and go perfectly with my orange cap and palm-patterned shorts. 🙂

After 10:00 AM, I took the bus to Kotor (Blue Line route, the fare is inexpensive, just a couple of euros). The road winds along the entire Kotor Bay, squeezed between the mountains and the sea. It's very narrow—oncoming cars had to squeeze against the barrier and even fold their mirrors to pass each other.
The distance to Kotor is 17 km. Montenegro is tiny, with a population of 600,000 (200,000 in the capital) and an area roughly the size of one of our regions. But the views are absolutely breathtaking!

Kotor is located at the far end of the bay. In the harbor, there was a huge ocean liner, the Oosterdam (Holland America Line). It felt like one city had docked at another.
The Old Town of Kotor is an incredibly atmospheric place, striking with its ancient architecture, the winding narrow streets (some no wider than a meter!), arches, and passages. In the narrow gaps between the stone buildings and cobblestone streets, there was even a blissful coolness, despite the midday heat.
Having not studied the place in advance, I was amazed by the beauty that unfolded before me. The experience was unforgettable, even though I only spent 2-3 hours in Kotor.

I returned to the station (the toilet cost 1 euro—what a nightmare!) and set off again, this time to Podgorica. I brought some schnapps with me. A cool drink was pure bliss. 🙂
Above Budva, there’s an amazing serpentine road that climbs right up into the mountains. The views are incredible! You can even see the edge of the vast Skadar Lake, on the border with Albania.

By night, I arrived in the capital. The hostel was a shabby place in an annex, located in a residential area, for about 17 euros. They mistook me for a guest from Slovenia. They said I looked like one. 🙂
Podgorica left me with the impression of a dark, deserted, and somewhat unkempt place, even in the center. It was incredibly empty—so much privacy in the park that it felt uncomfortable. As I walked through the old district and parks in the evening, I couldn’t help but wonder, "Where is everyone?"

It turned out that everyone was eating in the cafes in the central neighborhoods. 🙂 The night lighting of the Millennium Bridge (the single-pillar cable-stayed bridge) looked beautiful. There’s supposed to be a monument to Vysotsky nearby, but I didn’t make it there.
By midnight, I was at the central Independence Square, signing postcards, including one for myself. I had planned to go to the Hard Rock Cafe but decided to get some sleep instead. 🙂

July 9, 2024. Tuesday. Leaving Montenegro.

In the morning, I exchanged the remaining 2000 dinars for euros. It turned out to be much more difficult than I expected—only NLB and CKB banks exchange dinars. I calmly headed to the bus station, but there, I met with failure—there were no available seats on the bus to Tirana. The bus was ready to depart, but I couldn’t get on.
I should have bought tickets in advance—long-distance buses from Kotor, with ticket sales only 20 minutes before departure, played a nasty trick on me. What to do? At my firm “But I need to go!” at the ticket counter, the solution appeared—a ticket to Shkodra for 17 euros. What’s Shkodra? Where is it? Doesn’t matter! I have to go. 🙂 I’ll figure it out when I get there.

Luckily, I still had an hour to grab a snack at the station restaurant. The prices, by the way, were much lower than in touristy cafes.
At the platforms, there were aerosol mist sprayers overhead. They should have those everywhere. It’s so refreshing!
…
To be continued 🙂